Come Forth!

 

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and ca stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this ion account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:38-44 ESV).

 

Scholars describe the raising of Lazarus as the seventh and final “sign” or miracle in the book of John, and—as we can see—Jesus has saved the best for last. Even though Lazarus has been dead for several days, Jesus pulls him back from death’s grasp and restores him to life. All it takes is Jesus’ command. The voice that spoke creation into existence now calls him out of the darkness of death and into the light of life again.

 

In our skeptical, post­modern age, this may seem like a story that’s been embellished by John to help “sell” people on the idea of following Jesus. But this miraculous story is real. Like the other signs in the book of John, it is meant to point to a deeper truth about Jesus and his ministry.

 

Lazarus’ resurrection points us to the hope of resurrection and new life that we have in Christ. What Jesus did for Lazarus is also a promise for all who believe: in Jesus there is no ene­my of God—not even death itself—that can defeat us. If we are in Christ, we will have eternal life and victory over death, no matter what we face today.

 

When we have times in which we are struggling, anxious, or afraid, we can look to Jesus and remember his promises of life forever with him. Nothing is too big, and no problem is too difficult for Jesus to overcome. Not even death itself.